


Matcha with Almond, To-Go

by MsNotMrsHudson



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Coffee Shops, F/M, aang has a beanie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25055656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsNotMrsHudson/pseuds/MsNotMrsHudson
Summary: Coffee Shop AU featuring our favorite barista, Aang and his new crushtomer.
Relationships: Aang & Toph Beifong, Aang/Toph Beifong
Comments: 20
Kudos: 77





	1. One

“...Okay, so this one is 20 grams in at 36 grams out in 30 seconds.” Aang took the espresso glass from the scale on the espresso machine and wiped the edge of the rim with a damp towel. He was wearing an orange t-shirt under his full-body apron with some jeans and, bravely enough, white sneakers. He also wore his favorite, sky blue beanie which covered his buzz cut hair-do. “Which is about four seconds faster than the last shot,” he added while craning his neck to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows to check the weather. Walking to the end of the bar, he placed the glass on a tiny saucer in front of a young woman sitting at the counter. She followed his gaze and furrowed her brow.

“Wow, is it really about to rain? It was just clear out… that was fast.” The woman stated while swirling the glass and giving the shot a good sniff, taking in the aroma. “I still can’t believe the pressure in the air can affect the espresso machine so drastically,” she said, taking a sip. She closed her eyes and let the shot rest in her mouth before gulping it down.

“Actually,” Aang replied, fixing his apron, “It only really affects the grinder, but it’s nice to know that you’re listening to my coffee ramblings, Katara.” It was true; Aang loved coffee and if anyone would let him, he would explain every aspect of the beverage that he knew. “Do you have your umbrella?” he asked. He was prepared for the rain, as he always kept a spare umbrella in the storage closet of the Jasmine Dragon. Katara started to rummage through her bag, placing numerous items on the counter in front of her to look for her own, praying it was still in there from the last time it had rained. The counter was filling up with an assortment of her things, such as her keys, wallet, phone, glasses case, a water bottle and of course, her taser. He picked up the last item and examined it. “Have you actually ever used this on anyone before?”

She rolled her blue eyes and snatched it back from him. “I’ll have you know,” she retorted, “That I haven’t had to. But you never know, Aang.” Her eyes grew wide as she pulled her royal blue umbrella from her, probably now empty, bag. Katara loved the color blue and made sure she had blue all over her wardrobe. Aang always thought it was because she was always complimented on how pretty her eyes were. Today, she wore a sapphire jumpsuit with white sandals. “Yes! I knew it!” With one hand holding the bag open, she took her left arm and swiped it along the bar counter to push everything back into it. While doing so, she accidentally pushed the espresso glass onto the floor, along with the plate it was on. The sound of ceramic and glass shattering echoed throughout the empty coffee shop, followed by a low rumbling of thunder from outside. “Shoot!” she said hopping up from her bar stool, scanning her eyes behind the bar. “Sorry Aang, pass me the broom. I’ll clean this up.”

Now Aang rolled his eyes, but with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. It gives me something to do besides serving you free shots the rest of the night.” He grabbed the broom that sat near the back of the bar and walked around the corner. “Why don’t you just apply to work here?” he asked, sweeping the shards. “You already spend so much time here, why not get paid while you’re at it?”

Katara tucked a lock of her long brown hair behind her ear, and placed a hand on her hip. “Because everyone isn’t taking a gap year like you are, Aang. I’m really trying to focus on my studies right now, and I only come here so I can study.”

“And to get some free coffee…” he mumbled under his breath. 

“I heard that!” Katara smiled. 

Aang straightened up with the broom and Katara took a seat back on the stool. He walked to the back to discard the mess when the sound of the front door opened. With his back turned, he could hear the sound of rain falling outside. “Hi,” he called out over his shoulder. “I’ll be with you in one second!” Throwing away the pieces of the dishes and finding a home for the broom, Aang straightened his apron once more and looked around the storage closet. It was a mess and he was responsible for it. Aang wasn’t exactly the tidiest employee at the Jasmine Dragon and it definitely showed, at least in the back. He sighed, mentally taking note to clean out the closet before his shift the next day. He walked back to the front of the store to officially greet the guest who had walked in, passing Katara on his way. Katara looked at him with her eyebrows raised and nodded her head towards the girl who had walked in. Aang looked at her quizzically and shrugged his shoulders before reaching the register. 

The girl was soaking wet. It was obvious she hadn’t prepared for the rain and was suffering the consequences of such. Her thick, black hair was dripping from the top messy bun onto her face. Her clothes stuck to her body and she smelled of wet grass. She was no more than five feet tall, and had a petite figure. Her glasses had fogged up due to the rain, making her jade green eyes look a little pale. She was too busy looking at her phone to notice the barista in front of her, which Aang (and other baristas worldwide) hated, but with her it was okay for some reason. She looked… different. She didn’t look like your average young woman. Her features were striking, yet soft. She had an edge to her, but considering her current state, she looked pitiful. She sniffed and Aang politely cleared his throat. He smiled when she finally looked up.

Maybe “pitiful” was the wrong word. “Hey, gimme a matcha latte with almond, to-go,” she basically barked at him. She took off her glasses and didn't blink as she stared at him. Raising her eyebrows at him, she whistled. “Do you need it again?” Aang was seeing just how green her eyes really were; Emerald-like. Her bangs hung loosely around her forehead, almost long enough to shield her eyes. The girl grew uncomfortable with the boy staring at her and started to reach into her pocket for her wallet to pay for her order. “Just tell me how much it’s gonna be, kid.”

Katara giggled in the background, which snapped Aang out of it. She was apparently witnessing the entire interaction. He whipped his head around to scowl at his friend and turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. “I’m so sorry… yes! Matcha latte with almond milk, to-go.”A stack of to-go cups sat to the side of the register and with one hand he grabbed at one of the cups from the top while reaching into his apron for his Sharpie. He succeeded in the latter, but failed miserably at the former, knocking over the stack as his cheeks grew redder by the second. The girl in front of him started to giggle as well. “Did you want that sweetened at all?” he asked, trying to save the situation a little, although hearing her laugh reddened the tips of his ears as well. 

“Of course not,” she replied. “How much is it?” The cups were tumbling off the counter and the sound of them hitting the floor embarrassed Aang. 

He looked at her, then the cups, then back at her. “You know what,” he sighed. “Don’t worry about it; it’s on the house today.” She raised a brow. “I’ll have it ready in two seconds for you.” He gave her a sheepish smile and uncapped the marker. “What’s your name?” He had asked this question hundreds of times with his job at the coffee shop, but now, he felt nervous. Picking up the cup, he prepared for her answer.

“Toph.”

“T-O-...?” he wrote.

“P-H,” she finished for him. “What’s your name?” she grinned. He stopped writing and looked back at her. Katara’s giggle started again. 

“My name?” he stammered. This was new. Customers never asked him what his name was. Not ever. The grin on her face told him that she was trying to make light of the situation and save him some embarrassment, which made him feel a little better. He cleared his throat. “My name is Aang,” he smiled. 

“Well, Aang,” she started. His heart jumped when his name left her mouth. She made his name sound like a song. “Can you hurry with the drink? I have somewhere to be,” she said, placing her glasses back onto her face. She gave him a good look up and down and blinked at him, waiting for his response. 

He repositioned the beanie on his head and gave her a toothy smile. “Coming right up!” He turned away to get started on the drink and heard Katara fake cough at the end of the bar. He ignored her because he knew what she was going to say and did not want to discuss this “Toph” in front of her while she was still in the store. Aang had never seen her in the store before, and he didn’t know when she would be back. If she would ever come back, especially considering how big of a fool he had just made himself out to be earlier. Still, he tried something. “Hey,” he called out from over the bar. “If you would like to join our rewards program, feel free to fill out the form on the counter near the register.” He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but he watched her out of the corner of his eye to see if she would. 

As he whisked the matcha, he could see her starting to fill out the form. Internally, he celebrated and could tell that Katara knew what was coming. He looked at his friend and she gave him a knowing smile. Toph started to pace around the shop, taking in the decor. He steamed the almond milk and started his pour. Normally, he would go into auto-pilot at this point and pour whatever design his hands decided, but this time he took his time to decide what to pour. ‘Should I pour a rosetta? Or maybe a tulip? A heart? No, that’s too much,’ he thought to himself, debating on what to pour. His face lit up when he figured out his design. He didn’t pour this one often, but when he did, it was always perfect. 

“Matcha latte with almond milk for Toph,” he called out. He placed the drink next to where Katara sat and she gasped. He had poured a swan.

Toph walked up to the bar and grabbed a lid and placed it on the drink without looking at the design. “Thanks,” she said and took a sip. Katara’s mouth fell open as she couldn’t believe that someone could ignore the beautiful art her best friend had just poured for them. She scoffed silently and looked at Aang, who was still smiling at the girl. Katara shook her head. 

On her way out, Toph dropped a five dollar bill into the tip jar and headed into the storm that seemed to await her return outside.


	2. Two

Katara turned the key to her apartment and entered, holding the door open for her friend. It was now after Aang’s shift and she was ready for some good, old fashioned detective work. Aang, on the other hand, was feeling a bit apprehensive about the whole situation. It felt like stalking and it didn’t feel right. 

The apartment was decorated with different hues of blue with accents of silver and grey. Katara was adamant on getting an indoor aquarium for the unit to house a koi fish. Aang was against the idea of keeping animals in cages or tanks, but Katara did a good job of taking care of it. On the floor below them was a white, circular area rug large enough to cover most of the space with a coffee table placed in the middle of it. The apartment was like a second home for him. He was here almost every day, either to help her with homework or for Katara to help him with his watercolor. It was a new hobby of his, after watching her paint for years. 

“I don’t know, Katara,” he groaned. He kicked off his shoes and proceeded to the couch in the living room, laying on it as if he were seeing a licenced therapist. He sighed. “Isn’t this… I don’t know, creepy?” He placed both of his hands over his face. Katara was already booting up the laptop that was on the coffee table and took a seat on a pillow on the floor.

“Aang,” she replied. “Like you said on the way here, you don’t know if you’ll ever see her again. Now that we have her name and number, we can see what she’s all about.” She focused on the computer in front of her and pulled up a search engine. “Besides, maybe we can finally get you a girlfriend for once,” she muttered under her breath.

“Hey, I heard that!” He jerked up, holding himself up with his elbows into the couch. “And yeah, she’s pretty, I’ll admit to that--” Suddenly, one of the bedroom doors swung open. A head peaked from the entrance of the darkened room.

“Guys, I love you both,” the man said, dressed in sweats and a white t-shirt. “But you do this every night. I’m just trying to get some sleep and you keep forgetting I live here, too. So please stop talking so loud this late at night.” 

“Oh, whatever Sokka.” Katara rolled her eyes at her older brother. “Tell Suki I said ‘hello’,” she finished while directing her attention back to her keyboard. 

“Nice try, but Suki isn’t over tonight,” he stuck his tongue out at his sister. Aang watched, clearly entertained. He thought it was funny when the siblings bickered. As an only child, he always wondered what having actual siblings was like. Sokka and Katara were like family, yes. But still. 

“Really?” she asked, still not looking up from the keyboard. “So why is her car parked out in the parking lot?” She furrowed her brow as she clicked different links on the results page of the search engine. 

Sokka was about to reply when Suki poked her head out of the doorframe, smiling. She was wearing a large t-shirt, probably Sokka’s, with a facemask and slippers on. “Hi Katara! Hi Aang!” she gave them a friendly wave, with Aang waving back. She turned to her boyfriend. “Sokka leave them alone, come on,” she said in a low voice, tugging at his arm as she turned back into his bedroom. He then threw a tiny fit about how they were bothering him first, but eventually obliged. The door slowly shut and Aang and Katara were free to continue. 

Katara clicked at her teeth. “Toph Beifong… Toph Beifong…,” still scanning the web pages. As soon as Toph had left the shop, Katara had gotten her information off of the rewards program form on the counter.

“Please, I think we should stop,” Aang contested. He scanned the apartment. ‘We should really get some plants in here,’ he thought to himself. “Why don’t we let the universe work itself out and if I see her again, then I’ll see her again. It’s no big deal Katara, really--”

“I found her!” She exclaimed. This is the second time he was cut off in three minutes. He slumped back in defeat. “Ok, so it looks like she isn’t from around here… probably why we’ve never seen her before. She’s from two towns over.” Katara continued to read off the page and Aang placed a pillow cushion over his face. “She’s here for school, but she doesn’t have that many friends… that’s weird.” 

Aang removed the pillow. “No friends?” he asked with his eyebrows raised, in disbelief. “That’s no way to live.” He took off his beanie and placed it on his stomach. “I mean, she’s new to the area. We could show her around. Maybe we could all be friends one day?” He wondered. He didn’t have to wonder for long.

“Good idea! Friend request sent,” Katara replied.

“You didn’t.” Aang sat up.

“I just did,” she smiled at him. “Ooh!” She looked back at the screen. “And it looks like one of her hobbies is…. Rock climbing?” She sent him a questionable look. “But she looks so small and--wait! She accepted!” Her face lit up as if she were watching fireworks, but suddenly it changed to one of realization.

“What?” Aang asked, sitting up now because he was worried. “Katara, what?” He clutched the sides of his apron that he had yet to remove. She slowly turned to look at him, wincing as she prepared to explain.

She tugged at her hair and twirled a lock between her fingers. “Remember that time you needed my laptop and you said it was for something really, really important and it turned out that you just needed it so you could log in and check to see about that other coffee shop opening down the street and I told you ‘no’ but you kept begging and begging and finally I said ‘yes, but only if you help me carry my groceries to the apartment’ and you said ‘sure thing’ and then--” she spoke rapidly. Now, it was Aang’s turn to cut her off.

“Katara.” he stopped her. “What happened?” he asked calmly.

“I maybe, sorta, accidentally sent the friend request from your account by mistake,” she cringed. Aang was never one to get mad over trivial things, but she knew how Aang was starting to feel about this girl and could tell that he was now embarrassed, thanks to her.

“You maybe, sorta, accidentally sent the friend request from my account by mistake?” he asked, keeping his cool. He sighed and placed his head in his hands. Katara scooted over to him and nudged his knee. 

“Hey, I’m sorry!” she pleaded. “But to be fair, you didn’t log out, so technically it’s not 100% my fault, Aang.”

He chuckled a bit and looked at his friend. “I’m not mad, Katara. Actually, it’s kinda funny when you think of it.”

“It is? You’re okay with it?” she asked in shock. She knew that if this had happened to her, she would have already wrung his neck. She sat up on her knees.

“Yeah!” he said. “I guess this is the universe working itself out.” They both laughed, but were interrupted by the chime of the computer. They looked at each other with wide eyes. Katara grabbed the laptop and turned it towards the both of them, with Aang looking over her shoulder. It was a message from Toph. The pace of his heart quickened. He didn’t know why he was so into this girl. They had only met once; she was just a crushtomer. That was a word Katara had taught him when they were walking home together. Toph wasn’t the nicest girl he had met, but she was definitely interesting. She was different. And she did tip him on a free drink, which counts for something, especially based on their encounter. He wanted to get to know her… in person, not on the computer. He prayed she would come back into the shop soon. 

“‘Hey, aren’t you the barista from earlier today? From Jasmine Dragon, right?’” Katara read aloud, trying to sound like her. Aang nudged her shoulder and chuckled. She looked up at him, “Well, what are we going to say? She’s obviously going to ask why you sent her the request and probably how you even found her page.”

“How you found her page. I didn’t want to go through with this at first.” Aang replied, sticking his pointer finger in the air.

“Yeah, well she doesn’t know that. All she knows is that the weirdo barista she just met friended her online.”

“Now do you see why this was creepy?” he asked. 

She bit her lip and rolled her eyes. “Ok, so maybe we could’ve waited a day or two.” He raised a brow. “I should have waited a day or two. But Aang, you couldn’t see it, but I could! There was chemistry between you guys. Like, an opposites-attract sorta vibe going on. Plus, I’ve never seen you fumble so badly in front of a girl like that before… well, besides me. But that was a long time ago. This is now!” She pointed at the screen. “And she’s waiting for a reply. We’ve gotta say something.” Aang grabbed the laptop from his friend and placed it on his lap. 

“I think it’s only right if I do the typing, don’t you think?” he asked her. She nodded in agreement. 

“This is exciting!” She clasped her hands together, interlacing her fingers. Aang pondered at the keyboard. He could either admit to the snooping, or he could hope that she wouldn’t ask. He didn’t have a chance to decide because he was already alerted to a new message from Toph. “What did she say?” Katara asked.

“She said, ‘the matcha was delicious by the way.’” He sighed in relief. So she wasn’t going to ask. Aang started to type. It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to talk to girls; he talked to Katara and Suki all the time, even when he had that crush on Katara way back when. Toph was… well he didn’t know what Toph was. They had hardly met and all he knew of her was what was on her profile; the same profile everyone else in the world had access to viewing. What made him think he could pursue this girl? He didn’t know, but he did like the thought. Aang read the message aloud to his friend for approval. “‘It’s an acquired taste, for sure. Especially paired with almond milk, but I’m glad you liked it!’ and then I added the smiley emoticon with the nose.* ”   
Katara scrunched up her nose. “You can’t just talk about the drink. Or if you do, recommend a new drink so she can come in again and try it.” She said, snapping her fingers.

“Good idea!” he replied. He thought for a moment before typing at the keyboard again. “Okay, so I added, ‘maybe you should try an iced matcha latte with half an ounce of vanilla syrup and with oat milk instead of almond? We have all of those at Jasmine Dragon’” he proudly hit the “send” button. 

“That actually sounds good, have I had that before?” Katara asked. 

“I think I’ve made it for you, like once. But you said you were tired of iced drinks,” he replied. “And that’s when you started drinking straight espresso.” The computer alerted again. Aang read the screen and started to smile widely. “She said she’ll come in again tomorrow to try it!” They both heard Sokka from his bedroom yell for them to ‘shut up,’ but they didn’t care. Katara held her open hand up and Aang gave her a high five. He was about to reply, when all of the sudden, she went offline. But it was okay. Aang considered this a win, and so did Katara. He had been missing something from his life, she had always thought. She thought he needed to find someone so that his life wasn’t all coffee and their immediate friend group. 

Aang closed the laptop lid and sighed, still smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of dialogue, omg.
> 
> also, the drink that aang recommends is actually one that i recommend to people when i'm working bar. oh yes, i am a barista as well. 
> 
> *:-) was the emoticon i was talking about.


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope u enjoy this chap ive put together :)

It was now four days since he'd last seen her. It wasn’t like he was keeping track or anything. No. He was waiting for the universe to work itself out. She could come in whenever, it was no big deal. He wasn’t in love with her; that would be ridiculous. They’d only met one time and shared a brief conversation online the same evening. Even though she didn’t outright admit it, she probably thought he was strange. He was a little strange. He sighed as he watched the dark golden stream of espresso trickle from the portafilter. 

It was a shot for Katara, who had continued to come into the shop every day to support her friend. She didn’t want him to embarrass himself… again. She was going to eavesdrop a little to help get a feel for this girl. Katara knew that not many girls could make Aang act that clumsily. In fact, no other girl has done that to him. She wasn’t going to let him ruin this for himself. Although, she was a little bored. They both tried not to talk about Toph that much so they spent most of his shifts waiting for her to come in, with Aang making sure he didn’t stray too far into the back and Katara keeping her eyes on the door. 

He walked the shot over to her and she graciously took it. Giving it a swirl and a deep inhale, she threw the espresso back, not really taking in the tasting notes this time. She breathed in through her teeth and let out a sigh as well. “Aang, it’s getting late,” she complained. “I don’t think she’s coming in today either. You close in 20 minutes.” She stretched her arms. “There’s always tomorrow.” 

For the next 30 minutes, Aang spent his time shutting down and cleaning the espresso machine and closing the shop. He made sure to stock everything needed for the next morning and to clean any messes left on the tables around the store. Katara started to pack up her things into her bag. Silently, they both made their way to the front door and Aang turned off the lights to the building. Locking the door behind him, they headed home.

“Hey,” Katara said, trying to start a conversation up. “There’s this new vegan restaurant opening up downtown this weekend. Maybe we should try it out?” Aang nodded and was about to reply when he was interrupted by a voice behind them.

“Couldn’t wait two more seconds, huh?” the familiar voice rang out. The pair stopped in their tracks and Aang was the first to turn around to see the small woman approaching from behind. He nudged Katara with his elbow and she turned around as well. A small smile had spread on his face as he greeted the girl.

“Hey! Long time no see,” he joked. Four days isn’t a long time. The trio was now face to face with one another and Katara reached out her hand.

“Hi, I’m Katara. I’m his best friend.” Toph shook her hand and Katara winced at her strength. “That’s quite a grip you’ve got,” she chuckled aloud. 

“I’m Toph, but I think I remember you from the last time I was here. You were sitting at the bar?” Toph pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose a bit. 

Katara’s eyes beamed with excitement. “Yeah, that was me! Nice memory.”

“Well, I’d hate to be that customer,” she started. “But I was really hoping to try that drink recommendation tonight. If you’ve closed for good for tonight, I don’t wanna--”

“Sure, y-yeah!” Aang blurted out. Katara shot him a look that he ignored. “What’s one drink, you know?” She could see he was blushing and suppressed a smile. She knew that she would have to miss out on this. “Katara, come on in, we can all hang out for a bit… the three of us.” 

She thought for a second before finally lying. “Actually, I’ve got some homework I need catching up on. You two go ahead, I’m going to go home.” She added a fake yawn to sell it. “Plus, I’m really tired as well.” Aang knew she was lying based on the fact that he had just served her three shots of espresso earlier. 

He widened his eyes in an attempt to scream, ‘please don’t leave me here.’ “But are you sure?” He looked at Toph who looked very confused about the whole interaction. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation and checked the time on her phone. 

“Absolutely! Go. Toph, anything this guy makes behind that bar is going to be delicious, trust me,” she assured the small woman. “Bye guys!” She turned and started walking home, with a devious smile plastered on her face.

Aang called out to her. “Let me know when you’ve gotten home safe!” Katara reached into her pocket and raised her taser into the air, still continuing home. He turned to Toph and they stared at each other. 

“...Soooo?” She said. Right. Of course. He had to unlock the doors. She stood silently to the side as he pulled the door open for her. She walked in. “Are you sure it’s okay for you to do this? You’re not going to blame me for getting fired.” 

Aang laughed out loud. “Of course not, as long as I lock the door behind us, I should be fine. Katara and I have spent many days hanging out here after close.” The door clicked as he turned the key and he pushed on the door to make sure that it was locked. 

Toph was sitting in the same seat that Katara normally sat in. She had both elbows on the counter in front of her. “Well, I’m waiting for this super cool drink.”

Aang hadn’t taken off his apron yet and pulled at the corners of it. Walking behind the bar, he pulled out the materials for the matcha drink. He was glad he took the time to properly clean and stock everything, but to be honest, the matcha was always stocked ever since their conversation online. He grabbed the oat milk from the fridge and prepped his drink almost as if he was performing. Instead of making the drink near the espresso machine like where he normally did, he decided to make the drink at the bar where she sat. “You’re really gonna like it,” he said, turnt away so that he could wash his hands at the sink. 

“So what exactly is matcha?” She asked. He looked at her with a smile. Aang loved the opportunity to explain beverages to others. He dried his hands.

“Matcha is finely ground green tea,” He put a spoonful of matcha into a bowl and weighed it out on a scale. This drink was going to be perfect. “It’s got lots of caffeine, but doesn’t affect you the same way espresso or drip coffee would.” Once he measured two grams, he added a small amount of hot water to the ceramic bowl. Next, he stirred the mixture with a wooden whisk until it formed a green, foamy paste. “Instead of crashing, you experience a slow decrease in the energy. Most people don’t like the earthy taste, but I think it’s pretty nice.” He then poured the green tea into a metal shaker and filled the cup with oat milk. “Of course, I like it a little sweet, but if you aren’t careful it can end up being too sweet.” He then took a jigger and measured out half an ounce of housemade vanilla syrup. Pouring it in, he then grabbed a bar spoon and stirred until all the ingredients were well incorporated. He grabbed the to-go cup full of ice he had prepped and added the drink before sliding the cup towards her. 

“That’s interesting,” she said. “Thanks for the lesson.” She picked up the cup and gave it a sip and Aang watched her. He knew that the drink was good. It was perfect. He knew that watching her drink it would be an appropriate action considering it was a recommendation. But he wasn’t looking for her reaction to the drink. He was looking at her. He was looking at her hair, still done in a messy bun at the top of her head. Today, she was wearing emerald gem earrings. Or maybe they were jade? He watched as she closed her eyes to really taste the beverage. Her face seemed to relax into the sensation of iced matcha. It was a softness that he hadn’t seen on her before, not even on her online profile. He was looking at her clothes. They were well kept and they seemed to be comfortable. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt and black jeans. He couldn’t see her shoes because the bar was in the way, so he continued to explore her face. She cleared her throat and he was startled back into reality. “I said that ‘this is delicious, your friend was right.’” 

He had totally missed her saying this the first time. Embarrassed, he blushed and scratched the back of his head. “Oh! Uhh, thanks!” Nice. “I knew you’d like it.”

“Is that right?” she smirked. “Looks like I have some changing to do. I’m not into being predictable.” 

“Well, I mean, you don’t have to change. Well, not for me at least… but it’s not like you’re changing for me… but like, only if you want to.” He sighed and tried again. “I’m glad that you enjoy the recommendation.” He was now fidgeting with the side of his apron. He was nervous around her and he tried to calm down. Taking a breath, he adjusted the beanie that was on his head. Toph giggled and covered her mouth with her free hand. ‘There was that softness again,’ Aang thought to himself, smiling.

“Are you always this nervous?” she questioned him. He could feel the tips of his ears burning up. “I mean, maybe you should try some chamomile tea to calm your nerves a little.” 

“Oh, do I seem nervous? I didn’t mean to seem nervous.” He was starting to fluster again. Instead of a giggle, Toph gave a hearty laugh that made Aang’s heart sink. ‘Is she laughing at me?’  
“Dude, you’re nervous. But why? Don’t you serve customers all the time? It’s your entire job to do this!” She said, motioning to the entire cafe. “And I don’t know you very well, but do know that something is up.”

“N-yes, yeah, I serve customers all the time,” he stammered out. 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “What, is it because I’m a girl?” she joked. 

“Yes.” He replied almost in defeat. ‘Here we go,” he thought. He shoved his hands into his apron pockets. 

“Excuse me?” she asked. Her green eyes had widened behind her glasses. 

“Well,” he continued. “It’s not just because you’re a girl.” He looked to the ground. “But also a pretty girl,” he practically whispered that last part. But the shop was empty. There were no other customers bustling around the cafe. There was no soft music playing from the speakers. There wasn’t the sweet sound of milk being steamed from the steam wand on the espresso machine. There wasn’t the sounds of laptops booting up from those wanting to get work done. It was just the boy and the girl. And the girl heard the boy.

“Oh.” Toph took a sip from her drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the kudos and the comments! for those trying the drink, let me know how you like it...or don't like it! i'm not the same arrogant barista ive written aang to be ;)


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise, you've got another chapter within a couple of hours! you probably wont get another tonight tho. anyway, pls enjoy

Toph fumbled inside of her backpack for her glasses case. Her hands felt around for the familiar shape and she cursed herself for not placing it in a different pocket. Any other pocket would have been better than just throwing it in the main compartment. Finally, after much rummaging, she found the case and pulled it out. She opened it and placed her glasses on her face.

She had found this local rock climbing gym called The Boulder on the outskirts of the city almost as soon as she moved here a couple of months ago. It had become her new favorite place to destress and relax. She liked to climb without her glasses. She couldn’t see without them, which enabled an added sense of risk while she let her hands grab blindly at the wall. It allowed her to trust her instincts and to learn the wall. She also liked to climb without her shoes as well. There was something about it that was so freeing to her. 

After finding her glasses, she then went to go search for her shoes. They were right where she left them; a worn down pair of black sandals that strap around her heels and ankles. She liked to let her feet breathe and with her moving away from her family, there were no parents to tell her to opt for closed-toe shoes. Sitting on the bench, she slid her feet in and checked the time on her phone. It was getting late, but she had a stop to make on her way back to her apartment. 

***

Toph tried to retrace her steps back to Jasmine Dragon. It had been four days since she had first visited the cafe. The first time she came, she was just exploring the area. This time she had a reason. 

She was supposed to come back a few days ago, but for a number of reasons she postponed the trip. She still had some unpacking to do (she didn’t bring a lot of things for her move, she was just taking her time), was trying to balance school and her internship, and spent what time she had left at The Boulder. Plus, she didn’t know how to feel about that barista there, Aang. Well, now they were at least friends online. She wasn’t weirded out by his request at all. In fact, the form that she filled out on her first visit didn’t require a last name. 

He was attractive with boyish charm, while also making a fool of himself. Their encounter was… awkward to say the least. Still, there was something about him. She wasn’t in love with him; that would be ridiculous. Love doesn’t even exist. But she thought he was kind of cute and there would just be no way that he would ever know that. 

But there was something else about him. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. There was something there that made her want to know more about him. That’s when she decided to go back to the cafe. But at her rate, she just might miss him. She knew the shop had just closed, but she was just a few blocks away. She was sure she could catch him. She rounded a corner and saw from afar the cafe. More importantly, she saw Aang and the same girl from before locking the place up. They were walking away from her so she called out.

“Couldn’t wait two more seconds, huh?” she joked. She managed to stop them and Aang turned around. He still had his apron on, along with his little hat. 

“Hey! Long time no see,” he had replied. The other girl had turned around and stook out her hand for Toph to shake. Toph noted how pretty this girl was. She was a true, natural beauty. She had smooth skin and gorgeous eyes with even more gorgeous hair. It was so thick and Toph started to grow envious. 

“Hi, I’m Katara. I’m his best friend.” Toph shook her hand and noticed how smooth Katara’s hand felt compared to her rougher one. Toph gave her a good squeeze. “That’s quite a grip you’ve got,” she chuckled aloud. Toph smiled. She knew people underestimated her because of how small she looked. She liked any opportunity to showcase her true strength.

“I’m Toph, but I think I remember you from the last time I was here. You were sitting at the bar?” Toph felt her glasses start to fall down her face from the brisk walk over to the cafe and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose to situate them properly.

“Yeah, that was me! Nice memory.”

“Well, I’d hate to be that customer,” Toph really wanted to get to the point. She knew what she was here for. “But I was really hoping to try that drink recommendation tonight. If you’ve closed for good for tonight, I don’t wanna--”

“Sure, y-yeah!” Aang suddenly said. “What’s one drink, you know?” Toph was relieved to know that she wasn’t too late. The way his face lit up was a sight that Toph was glad she could see. It was pure, innocent content. “Katara, come on in, we can all hang out for a bit… the three of us.” 

She was hoping for this answer from the girl. “Actually, I’ve got some homework I need catching up on. You two go ahead, I’m going to go home.” She yawned loudly. “Plus, I’m really tired as well.” 

“But are you sure?” He looked at Toph who was very confused about their secret, silent language. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation and checked the time on her phone. Although she really wanted to be there, she didn’t want to stand outside there all night long. 

“Absolutely! Go. Toph, anything this guy makes behind that bar is going to be delicious, trust me,” she assured her. “Bye guys!” She turned and finally started walking away.

Aang called out to her. “Let me know when you’ve gotten home safe!” Katara reached into her pocket and raised something, but still continued home. He turned to Toph and they stared at each other. 

“...Soooo?” She said. Had he forgotten already? She didn’t know much about this guy, but she could tell how absentminded he could be. He was the only one who could unlock the doors. She stood silently to the side as he pulled the door open for her. She walked in, cautiously. “Are you sure it’s okay for you to do this? You’re not going to blame me for getting fired.” 

He laughed. “Of course not, as long as I lock the door behind us, I should be fine. Katara and I have spent many days hanging out here after close.” He and this Katara were close friends. Very close friends, from what it seemed like. Toph wasn’t jealous, but for some reason, the feeling of annoyance built in her gut. 

Toph found a seat at the end of the bar. She had both elbows on the counter in front of her. “Well, I’m waiting for this super cool drink.” She thought she would tease him a bit. 

Walking behind the bar, he pulled out the materials for the matcha drink. Toph watched as he moved. She noticed how light his steps were, as he barely made a sound with his movements. The way he maneuvered the space was one of familiarity and grace. Before she knew it, there were materials at the bar where she sat. “You’re really gonna like it,” he said, and started washing his hands. 

“So what exactly is matcha?” She asked. She didn’t care. She already knew what matcha was. She wanted to get him talking. She wanted to get him distracted so that she could study him. And it worked. He looked at her with a smile.

“Matcha is finely ground green tea…” he started. 

She wasn’t at all listening to him though. She watched as he mixed ingredients and how he flicked his wrist before stirring anything. She watched as he smiled as he talked about the tea. He was genuinely happy to be making a drink for someone after his shift. ‘He’s just a really nice guy,’ she thought to herself. ‘He’d do this for anyone. He probably already does this for that Katara girl.’ Toph didn’t like getting her hopes up that often. Doing that can bring disappointments and she didn’t like the idea of anyone letting her down. The only way to avoid that is to not give anyone the chance to. She was brought back when a full to-go cup was presented in front of her. Aang gave her a “ta da” expression. 

“That’s interesting,” she said. “Thanks for the lesson.” She picked up the cup and gave it a sip and felt as Aang watched her. She closed her eyes to really taste the beverage, but mainly to avoid meeting his gaze. She knew he would be watching for her reaction, but the thought of looking at each other embarrassed her for some reason. She let her face relax into the taste of the drink. “Your friend was right, this is delicious.” She opened her eyes after she got no response to see Aang looking right at her. She cleared her throat to grab his attention. ‘Maybe he’s tired... I would be.’ “I said that ‘this is delicious, your friend was right.’” ‘Why was he blushing? If anything, I actually complimented the drink.’ 

“Oh! Uhh, thanks! I knew you’d like it.” He began wringing his hands. 

“Is that right?” she smirked. She decided to continue to tease him. “Looks like I have some changing to do. I’m not into being predictable.” It was true; she liked to be unpredictable. She didn’t want anyone to predetermine anything about her. She wanted to be an enigma of sorts. 

“Well, I mean, you don’t have to change. Well, not for me at least… but it’s not like you’re changing for me… but like, only if you want to. I’m glad that you enjoy the recommendation.” He tugged at his apron. He was definitely nervous and Toph decided to use that to her advantage, although she didn’t understand why he was. Toph giggled and covered her mouth. It was fun to mess with him. 

“Are you always this nervous?” she questioned him. “I mean, maybe you should try some chamomile tea to calm your nerves a little.” Toph knew about drinks. In fact, the only reason why she wasn’t a barista was because she didn’t want to deal with all the people that came with the job. 

“Oh, do I seem nervous? I didn’t mean to seem nervous.” He was cute when he was flustered. Toph laughed loudly, unable to contain herself. 

“Dude, you’re nervous. But why? Don’t you serve customers all the time? It’s your entire job to do this!” She said, motioning to the entire cafe. “And I don’t know you very well, but do know that something is up.” Maybe he had separation anxiety from his friend, Katara. Or maybe, again, it was late and she really shouldn’t be teasing him since he did make her this free drink. 

“N-yes, yeah, I serve customers all the time,” he stammered out. 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “What, is it because I’m a girl?” she joked. 

“Yes.” He replied. 

“Excuse me?” she asked. Did he have a thing against serving women? Was this guy a sexist freak? He couldn’t be; he’s the one who recommended the drink to her. What did he mean? 

“Well,” he continued. “It’s not just because you’re a girl.” He broke their gaze. “But also a pretty girl,” he practically whispered that last part.

“Oh.” Toph took a sip from her drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was actually tough to write, so go easy on me.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whups, lmao i'm back

Toph took another sip of her delicately crafted drink, but maybe a little too fast. Suddenly, she coughed a bit, trying to suppress her choking. She cleared her throat and straightened her posture on the bar stool. Aang watched her in embarrassment. He shouldn’t have said that. Not yet. He had every intention of telling her later on, as he was confident that they would continue to hang out and become closer as friends first. He did not intend on telling her on their second encounter. Not at all. He cursed himself internally and patiently waited for her reply. He still avoided her gaze, so he couldn’t see that she was avoiding his as well. 

She cleared her throat again and this time, spoke up. “If you wanted a bigger tip, you could’ve just asked for it.” She figured she could make light of the situation. Surely this guy didn’t really think she was actually pretty. Toph knew that she intimidated guys. It was something she was proud of and it reminded her that no one could walk over her, no matter how small she was. She was also used to people trying to take advantage of her. She thought that if she were closed off, nobody could hurt her. She hadn’t exactly been cold to this Aang guy, but she definitely wasn’t the friendliest either. 

She also joked because she wanted him to go on. She wanted to hear what he had to say. But he didn’t know what to say. So he started to ramble. “N-no! That’s not what I want, but you know, I probably shouldn’t have said that… you don’t have to say anything. In fact, we can forget all about that if you want.” He reached behind his back to fumble with the strings that wrapped around his body from his apron. The air grew still around them as the shop was filled with silence again. If Aang had the choice to disappear right in that moment, he definitely would have. That is, until she replied.

“Well, what if I don’t want to forget about it?” She was grinning at him. “Look Aang,” she continued without giving him a chance to respond to her question. “I think you’re a cool guy, I really do… and I’m no expert at this kinda stuff, but you’re doing this all wrong.” She broke the tension by giggling. Aang didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t mad or weirded out by him. Great. “I mean, I think we should at least start off as friends first, right?”

Aang nodded his head. “Those were my thoughts exactly. Toph, you seem like a really cool person as well and we saw that you didn’t have many friends from what your profile said and…” he was rambling again. But she stopped him.

“Wait, ‘we’? Who’s ‘we’?” She questioned. “Did you and that Katara girl both look me up online?” She crossed her arms, but she still wasn’t upset.   
“Well, I wanted to at first, but then I didn’t want to, but Katara wanted to and then we saw that you didn’t have many friends so Katara sent the request but she did it from my account on accident,” he spewed.

Toph put one hand up to stop him again. “So does Katara want to be friends with me or do you want to be friends with me?”

Aang shrugged his shoulders. “Why can’t we all be friends? I think that would be a great idea, don’t you think? You’re new to town and we could show you around. There’s a new vegan restaurant opening up downtown that Katara and I were thinking of going to for their opening weekend, and we were probably going to invite a few others. You should come, too.”

Toph would still like to explore the city further and now she was being offered a spot in a group of friends. This was new to her and she didn’t want to seem too eager with her acceptance. “Sure,” she said. “I don’t see why not.” She took another sip of the drink. “I’ve got nothing planned for this weekend.” On the inside, she was overcome with excitement and disbelief. She smiled at him and Aang felt those butterflies in his stomach start to flutter about again. It made him feel light and airy when she did that. Like he had nothing to worry about ever again. He blushed from his cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears that poked out the sides of his beanie. 

“Perfect, I’ll be sure to let the others know.” Aang started to clean up around him, putting the various materials away and wiping down the counter that he prepped the drink on. Toph couldn’t help but feel like she was now overstaying her welcome. The shop was closed after all.

“Oh, if you want me to go, I totally can,” Toph started to stand up off of the stool and she collected her phone from the counter.

“No!” Aang practically shouted, stunning the young woman in place. “I mean, I’m not rushing you. But if you want to leave, that’s fine, we can leave?” he asked. She sat back down.

“Well it looks like I’ve got nothing else planned for the rest of the evening either,” she said. Aang smiled at her as he continued to clean up the small space. “By the way, Aang?” She took another sip, this time finishing the beverage. She put the cup back down on the countertop and the ice cubes settled to the bottom of the plastic cup. “I think you’re pretty, too.” He stopped wiping the counter and slowly met her gaze. He scrunched his nose up and she snorted as they both laughed together in the shop. 

They spent the next two hours laughing and talking and getting to know one another. Aang stayed across the bar from her as she rested her elbows on the counter, holding her chin up with her palms. They talked as if they knew each other for years. Aang felt at ease when listening to her open up about her past and taking in every detail. If Toph was an iced matcha with oat milk, then he was drinking her right up. He didn’t spare her the embarrassing details of his life, oversharing some personal details, like how he still kept his baby blanket from when he was younger.

“It’s not like I still use it!” He contested while Toph grabbed her sides as she laughed at him.

“Yeah,” she said, in between giggles. “But not everyone names their blankets.” She wiped the corners of her eyes behind her glasses. 

“To be fair, ‘Appa’ is the perfect name a toddler could come up with. It’s not like I had options.” For the first time that night, his phone buzzed. He checked it and it was a message from Katara. ‘Are you okay? Haven’t heard from you in a while…’ He looked at the time and saw it was just a few minutes until midnight. “Oh, wow. It’s getting late.” He said in a disappointed tone. Toph was disappointed as well, but she was getting tired. She had had a long day and now, all she suddenly wanted was to sleep. She stretched her arms above her head and extended her back, reaching for the ceiling. 

“Yeah, I guess it is.” She said. “We should go, I’ve got a busy day tomorrow. You know, with the internship and all…” 

“Right, right,” Aang replied. He was glad he got to spend some time with her. He had learned a lot about her. He knew Katara was going to drill him with a million questions about the night, but he didn’t mind having to talk about Toph to his friend. “Well, let’s exchange numbers so we don’t have to talk online anymore.” He slid her his phone and she gave him hers. After a few seconds of silence and inputting information, they returned their respective devices. She stood up and pushed in her chair.

“Let’s get outta here,” she said, making her way towards the entrance of the shop. Aang grabbed the store keys and followed her out.

“Right behind you.”

Aang locked up the store and pulled on the handle to ensure that it was properly secured. Turning around, he noticed that Toph had already started home, in the opposite direction to where he lived. He called out to her. “Are you sure you’re going to be fine out here? Do you want me to walk you home?”  
She stopped and turned around. “Nah, I’ll be fine!” She wasn’t scared or nervous to walk around at night by herself. “I may not always carry a taser around, but I can handle myself out here. But don’t worry,” she added with a smile. “I’ll let you know when I get home.”

He lifted an arm to wave at her, but she had already turned to continue home. He watched her as she turned the corner and disappeared behind a building, heading home. He sighed and pulled out his phone. He turned and started his own journey home, texting Katara and letting her know he would talk to her in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeet. my bad yall. its been, like, a week since the last update i think. BUT TO BE FAIR i just had finals for my summer semester (c++ kicked my ass) and i'm still working full time. anyways, i'll update another chapter sometime tomorrow as reparations.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for the lovely comments and kuddos! its really yall who are keeping this story alive. :-)  
> bone app the teeth

Aang was laying on his bed, upside down with his head hanging over the edge. With his cell phone pressed to his ear, he listened as the speaker dialed and started to put the call through. His beanie was starting to slip off of his head and he let it fall to the floor beneath him, exposing his extremely short hair. After the second ring, the familiar voice of his friend came through.

“Um, what happened?” Katara asked, apparently wide awake at this early hour. “You guys were out all night long; I’m going to need some details.” He could hear the sound of water rushing from her end and could tell she was brushing her teeth. 

“I don’t know, Katara,” he said, smiling through the words. “We spent the whole time talking about everything really. She’s even more interesting than you and I ever thought.”

“Yeah, but two hours is a long time spent with someone new, uninterrupted.” She sounded muffled as she talked. “Sokka, NO! That’s mine and you know it!” She shouted. After a few seconds, she returned. “How did you get her to spend so much time with you?” 

“Well… I might have slipped up and told her that I thought she was pretty.” Aang removed the phone from his ear and placed it on speaker-phone. He put the phone on the floor below him and extended his arms so that his palms pressed into the carpet. Slowly, he raised his legs off the bed and lifted them into the air, effectively putting himself in a handstand position. 

“You said that? Really?!” The sound of rushing water was absent as she replied, thoroughly shocked at the amount of guts her friend had. “Well, what did she say? Was she as shocked as I am now?”

Aang laughed carefully to not throw himself off balance. “I think so! I mean, she returned the compliment and we laughed about it, but we’ve decided to be friends.”

“For now…” Katara added. “I’m calling it now, you guys would be adorable together.” He could hear rustling in the background and he could tell she was picking out an outfit for the day. Aang and Katara each had each other’s schedules memorized and down to a T. 

He smiled at the thought of Toph and him. He didn’t want to fall too fast, too soon. He wanted to really pace this. He really wanted them all to be friends and to hang out together as a group. He wanted to make sure that whatever happens, happens naturally. But the thought of Katara trying to push them together worried him. He could admit that his friend had a control problem at times, but he knew that she just wanted things to work out perfectly and according to plan...her plan. “I mean, like I said, we’re gonna be friends. Just friends, okay Katara?” He slowly lowered his legs and tumbled onto the bed next to him, landing on his back again. He picked back up the phone and put it to his ear again, taking it off of the speaker. “Speaking of which, I invited her out to come with us to that vegan restaurant you were talking about this weekend. I figured that Sokka and Suki would like to come along and…”

“Sokka? At a vegan restaurant? Good luck with that.” She muttered.

“Oh, right. Then I guess it’ll just be the three of us!” Aang knew that if Sokka wasn’t going to attend, then Suki probably wasn’t, either. “It’ll be fun.”

“Wait, you said ‘she returned the compliment’... she thinks you’re cute?” She asked, her gears already turning. 

“No, I mean she literally said that I was pretty, too.” 

“How cute,” she said, teasing him. “Ok, so it’s settled. New vegan spot this weekend. Saturday afternoon. I’ll be over in the morning to dress you before we go.”

“Dress me? What’s wrong with the way I dress?” Aang questioned, not really hurt.

“Oh, nothing! I just think you could shake things up a bit… that’s all. But listen,” she added quickly to avoid his complaints. “I’ve gotta go soon. Class is in half an hour and I don’t want to be late. I’ll call you back as soon as I’m out for the day.”

“Hey,” Aang interjected. “Maybe we can invite that neighbor of yours? You know, the quiet guy you’re always staring at through the window every time he goes to get the mail. What’s his name?” Aang snapped his fingers, trying to bring the name to light. “Z--”

“I gotta go, Aang! Talk to you later!” The phone grew silent as she had hung up on him. Aang smiled and spoke to himself. “Maybe he’d like to be friends, too.” He continued to let his head hang from the edge of the bed and he closed his eyes. He thought about his night prior. He thought about how easy it was to talk to her, considering how nervous she made him. He thought about her eyes and how the lenses of her glasses made them almost glisten. He thought about her laugh and how hearty, yet light it was. 

He thought about how she called him pretty. Aang wasn’t the type to get caught up in compliments, especially those involving outward appearances. And yet, her opinion mattered to him. He sighed at the possibility of Toph actually liking him. Yes, they both agreed that they would be friends, but based on last night, Aang could tell there was something deeper. He wasn’t going to push her in any direction. He trusted the universe and it’s timing. He trusted that things would work itself out… even if they were a little opposite of each other. She was rough, abrasive and blunt. Aang was softer and sensitive. But they worked so far, in regards to personality. ‘And she thinks I’m attractive.’ He flipped over onto his stomach and hummed quietly to himself, even though he lived alone in his studio apartment.

Hours had gone by and Aang hadn’t done much that day. He had a day off from the coffee shop and usually spent his time outside… not pent up in his apartment all day. But these past couple of days have been different and he needed the comfort of his own space to relax a bit. He unlocked his phone and went to view his messages. He read and re-read the singular message she had sent him earlier that morning. It was simple. It was two words: “I’m home.” He hadn’t replied, but at this point it was too late to say anything. He could change the subject all together and wish her a great day… but was that too much? ‘No, that wouldn’t be too much. I tell Katara that all the time.’ 

Aang didn’t want to compare the feelings he had for Katara in the past to what he was feeling now. It didn’t seem right. He had gotten over those feelings years ago and it didn’t affect their friendship today, thankfully. Aang didn’t know where he’d be without her. He certainly wouldn’t have gotten this far with Toph without her help and for that, he was grateful. But now he was trying to figure out what to say. Suddenly, he realized that he could let her know that they were planning to meet up on Saturday afternoon! It was perfect; he would just use that as an opener. Just as he was about to start typing, however, the iconic ellipses appeared onto the screen. She was already typing first. 

Aang fumbled his phone in surprise, almost dropping it onto the floor. He locked his phone to avoid sending a ‘read’ notification once she hit send. He sat up and crossed his legs into a seating position on his bed. Appa stayed in it’s usual spot, draped over the edge of the bottom of his bed. He put the phone in front of him and rested his elbows on his knees, holding his head up with his hands. He waited for his phone to light up with a notification from her. A minute passed. Five minutes passed. Twenty minutes passed. With every agonizing second Aang waited, he considered checking to see if she was still typing. Unfortunately, the fear of accidentally and coincidentally checking right as she would send the message kept him from doing so. 

So he stood up and stretched a bit. He needed to take his mind off of his phone and her. He crossed the space of his apartment to open up a window that was near the kitchen area to let some fresh air in. Looking around, he noticed that his plants could use some watering. His apartment didn’t really follow a specific theme; there were warm colors and patterns all over the place, all of them mismatching. But it was filled with his personality. Every single piece in the room was selected by him, and if one were to ask Katara, she’d say it was entirely on a whim. After he finished tending his plants, he checked back to see if his phone had buzzed. And apparently, it had. He unlocked his phone to finally read what she had sent. Sitting on the bed again, he read the screen.

“I’m coming over, what’s your address?” Then a second message followed. “I’m having a rough day and I need someone to talk to.”

Aang looked around at his apartment to assess the cleanliness of it all. Overall, he’d say he did a good job of keeping it tidy. It was when Sokka came over he’d have to worry about it. But today was acceptable. Before he knew it, he was typing out the address to his apartment and without a second thought, he hit send. If his friend was having a rough day and needed to talk about it, he would be all ears for them. Toph was no different. 

Twenty-three minutes had passed and he heard the knock of someone at his front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they aren't going to do anything nasty, i promise. this isnt a smut fic.


	7. Update

Hello to my awesome readers!! 

I figured I’d post a much needed update regarding this fic. I just want to make it abundantly clear that I am NOT abandoning this story AT ALL! If anyone cares to know, I’ve just moved, started a new semester of college, and have been helping my parents renovate their new home. My work schedule has also changed a little, so I’m trying to find time to adjust and fine tune how I spend my time throughout the day.

I’m so sorry to keep you all waiting for the next chapter. I still have loads of ideas for this fic!!! 

Keep your eyes open...y’all might get a chapter this week!

-K


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